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David Rosen, co-founder of SEGA, just died. He was 95 years old.

Wait. He wasn’t Japanese?

That’s right. SEGA started as an American company. The reason SEGA is capitalized is because the original name was Service Games. And the “Service” in that name refers to the American military—its first customer base.

SEGA remained largely American until the 1980s, when David Rosen—along with Japanese business partners—bought the company from its parent, Gulf+Western, which also owned Paramount Pictures.

This initiated one of the most innovative and creative periods in video game history. SEGA produced classics like Space Harrier, OutRun, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Virtua Fighter.

For nearly two decades, SEGA was the primary rival to Nintendo, separating itself through speed and attitude.

Along with Atari, it was one of the companies that defined my childhood.

R.I.P., David Rosen. May you enjoy that great arcade in the sky.

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/05/sega-co-founder-david-rosen-dies